Stropping machine for razor blades



June 27, 1933.

T. C. SHEEHAN STROPPING MACHINE FOR RAZOR BLADES Filed July 26, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 @g/wa ATTORNE Tiz .z...

June 27, 1933. T. c. SHEEHAN 1,915,477

STROPPING MACHINE FOR RAZOR BLADES Filed July 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e/ w a? J1me 1933- T. c. SHEEHAN 1,915,477

STROPPING MACHINE FOR RAZOR BLADES Filed July 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J HW M Q g y w M Y j J Patented June 27, 1933 by grit and 3 surfaces and TTES PATENT FFEQE THOMAS CORNELIUS SHEEHAN,

0F UPPER MONTCLAIFJ, NEVJ JERSEY, ASSIG'NOB, 'IO

VJADE & BUTCHER CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY STROPPING MACHINE FOR BAZGR BLADES Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to machines for stropping razor blades. The main object of the invention is to produce a simple and effective machine for automatically stropping razor blades to a smoother cutting and more uniform edge than heretofore possible by machine stropping.

Hitherto, in machine stropping of razor blades, a great deal of trouble has been caused foreign matter collecting on the blades and the strops, injuring both the delicate edge of the blade and the stropping surface. It has been found that by providing rotating cleanin wheels in contact with strop by providing cleaning means engaging the blade edges before stropping, the above difficulties can be avoided. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to produce a machine embodying these two improvements.

Also, in machine stropping of razor blades, long flexible strop belts have been found unsatisfactory in several respects. joints must be quickly lifted before passing the edge of the blade and then as quickly port the edge against the impact of the belt.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a stropping element free from these disadvantages which, at the same time, retains the same stropping surface.

Still another object is to provide a machine in which the portions of the delicate edge of the blades are kept in perfect alignment through passing over a considerable number of longitudinal aligned homng surfaces. Still another object is to provide effective means to guide and steady the blades, particularly the new curved razor blades which are. concave on one side and convex on the other, and to hold them in proper relation to the strop surfaces.

With these and other objects not specifically stated in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then set forth in the appended claims.

The belt 1928. Serial No. 295,598.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively left and right hand halves of a complete plan view of a stropping machine in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view, partly broken away, of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View looking at the side of the spring fingers on the concave side of the blade;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the strop on the concave side of the blade showing its relation to the blades and the cleaning wheels;

Fig. 6 is a similar view to that in Fig. 5, showing the strop on the convex side of the blade; and 7 Figs. 7 and 8 are side views showing the concave and convex sides of the blade.

In carrying the invention into effect, there is provided means for forwarding razor blades with an edge exposed, a strop .movable in the path of the edge for stropping the same, and means for simultaneously driving the strop and cleaning grit or dirt from said strop. In the best constructions, the means for driving and cleaning the strop will include a power driven cleaning wheel in engagementwith the strop. In the best constructions, there is provided means for forwarding razor blades in aright line with an. edge exposed, a pair of rotatable shafts parallel and on either side of the path of the blades, and a series of strops secured circumferentially about each of said shafts for rotation in the path of the exposed edge of the blades. In the best constructions, the strops on one shaft are staggered with respect to those on the other shaft and the strops on one shaft projecting into the spaces between the strops on the other shaft. In the preferred form, a series of rotating cleaning wheels are in frictional engagement with each strop of the series. Preferably, the stropping element comprises a rotating member having a cylindrical surface concentric with its axis of rotation and a strop belt circumferentially wrapped about said cylindrical surface, which is secured thereon with its ends within the cylindrical stropping surface formed by the'belt. The means above referred to may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular machine selected toillustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiinents of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, tables 10, 11 and 12 are connected by girders ltland 14 supported by frames 15, the whole constituting the main frame of the machine. Supported on the tables 10 and 11 is a narrow steel forwarding belt 16 provided with lugs l'l'ffor engagement of the perforations in the slot of the blades 18 to support thesa'me. This belt .is carried by a pair of pulleys 20 and l 22, the former of which is rotatably mounted on astub shaft 21 supported in a slide on the table 11 for adjustment in a conventional manner to tension the belt. The pulley 2 is join-nailed on the table 10'andis driven by a suitable drive means, not shown, supported under the table. a

In order to hold the blades on the forwarding belt and to provide asmooth guide surface for theconvex side of the blades, a stasov tionary belt 25, having one run extending parallel with and in close proximityto the belt 16, supported on pulleys 26 and mounted respectively on a shaft 28, which is adjustable to tension the belt, and a station- .-ary shaft 29;

The blades are automatically fed from the stack 31 on arbors against the forwarding belt, the blades being carried one by one be tween guides 33 and Bi into forwarding position between the stationary and forwarding Jelts, by which'the blades are carried to the cleaning wheels 37' and 42. The particular construction of the automatic blade feed is not part of the present invention, reference being made to copending application filed July 26, 1928, S. N. 29,597, for a more detailed disclosure.

To remove burr and grit left on the blade edges in previous grinding or honing operations, two series of cleaning wheels 37 and 42 arranged, respectively, on the concave and convex sides of the blades are provided. The wheels 37 are mounted in spaced relation on a shaft 38 j onrnalled in bearings 39.

The cleaning wheels 12 on the convex side of the blade are supported in spaced relation upon a shaft 43 journalled in bearings 44 which support the wheels 42 somewhat above thewheels 37, in order that these wheels may en a e the concave and convex sides of the edge at approximately the angle of the honed surfaces of the blade. The bearings 39 and 4 1 are bracketed :to platforms 15 which are slidable on cross rods'46 secured to the girders 13 and 14, and these platforms are adjustable on the cross rods towards and away from the path of the blades by conventional handscrews (Fig. 1). The shafts 38 and 43 are driven by conventional pulleys 47 and 48. It is noted that the wheels 37 are staggered with respect to the wheels 42 and each set of wheels projects into the space between the other set, in order that they may rub on the edge of the blades along surfaces intersecting said edge. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the wheels occupy less space along the forwarding means and the wheel on one side tends to support the blades against the wheels on the other side of the blade.

To support and guide the blades on the forwarding means as they pass the cleaning wheels and the strops, to be presently described, there is provided a pair of elongated guide plates 51 and 52 bracketed to the tbles 10, 11 and 12, on each side of and close to the path of the blades. Each of these guide plates has flat vertical surfaces 53 and 5a, the former bearing against the forwarding belt and the latter bearing against the stationary belt to hold said belts together, with the blade held firmly between them. These plates are tapered to. a narrow upper edge in order to fitbetween the blades and I the wheels, or strops. The upper horizontal edge of the stationary belt 25 provides a surface onwhich the lugs of the belt 15 ride andthus prevents vertical whipping of the same. The groove, or recess 55 of the guide is slotted near its upper edge to receive the lower edge of the blade, thus leaving a narrow belt portion at the upper edge of the belt which fits snugly in the concavity of the blade. The lower'portion of the belt 16, which extends beyond and below the lower edge of the blades, thus provides a broad surface to guide on the plate 51.

Further forwarding of the blades, after passing the cleaning wheels, brings the blades to a series of strops and 61 on each side of the path of the blades. I The strops 60 on the concave side of the blades are axially aligned on a series of cylindrical enlargements 64 on a shaft 62. These strops consist of a short length of strop belting circumferentially wrapped about the enlargements 64 on the shafts with the ends of the belt in a V groove 65 in which is fastened a block 66, also V shaped, by the screw 67 which draws theends of the belt together and clamps them in the groove with the ends well below the cylindrical stroppingsurface formed by the belts. The shaft 62 is journalled in bearing blocks 68 having shanks 69 secured for vertical movement in sliderays on brackets TOsecuredto the tables 10 and 1 1. The shaft 63 carrying strops on the convex side of the blade is identical in construction wlth that on the concave slde already described and is supported in the same way, except (SS-are higher in position in order that the ,strops may engage the blade edge at the 1C gage the blades along the surfaces intersecting at the edge, as shown in Figs 5 and 6. r

To hold the edge of the blades against the strop, there is provided a series of fingers 71 holdin the blade edges a ainst the S'tlO) b e 1 e on the concave side of the blade and a series of fingers 72 holding the blade edges against the strop on the convex side of the blade. These fingers are of substantially the same width as the width of each strep, and thus they act to hold the blade in alignment for its ent: re passage across the face of the strep. Since a large number of strops is used and I the strops'travcl relatively fast, only alight pressure is needed by each linger on the blades, the fingers being secured for this purgagement with the strops on a pair of shafts,

76 and 77 extending parallel to the shafts 62 and 63 anc. supported from the girders 1'8 and 14L bv brackets 79 carrvin bearin blocks z/ a b 78. The screw and slotconnection between the brackets 79 and the girders-permits adj ustment of the frictional engagement of the wheels with the strops. The shafts .76 and 77 are driven by pulleys 81 and 82 belted to a motor 833 mounted'on the frames 15. The

strep carrying shafts are. independently drive en by motors 8% and 85 having belts 86 and 8? running over pulleys S8 and 89 on shafts 62 and 63. Since the cleaning wheels and the strops are independently driven, they willbe driven ordinarily at a slightly diflerentpeiripheral speed, though in the same direction,

in order to cause a brushing action due to the difference in their speecs. At the same time, the power driven cleaning wheels will supplement the driving of the strops by the mo-- tors er and 85.

that the bearing blocks After passing the strops, the blades pass between the takeoff guides 9OHand 91, after which the spring ejector 92 forces the blades on' to arbors 93 where the blades form a stack 9%. The particular construction of the blade ejecting and stacking device is not a part of the present invention, reference being made to a copending application S. N. 295,597, filed-July 26, 1928, for a more detailed disclosure of the same.

It will be noted that since the blades con. tact a large. number of longitudinally aligned strops, the wear on any one strop will be relatively slight. lvlore-over, the resulting large longitudinal strapping action has the effect of aligning the portions of the delicate edge to provide a smoother cutting edge. As will be seen from Figs. 'i and 8, the small. diametcr of the. stropsurfaces and the arrangement so that they strop surfaces intersecting at the edge of the blade, provides a hollow honed edge of the desired thinness, backedby a closely adjacent thicker portion which enables the blade to hold 1ts edge. It should also be observed that the arrangement of the strops on one side of the blades close to and projecting between the adjacent strops on the other side of the blades (Figs. 1 and 2) is such that the former assist in guiding and holding the blades against the latter. I The lugs 17 on the travelling blade forwarding belt 16 engage in slots of the curved blades in the stack 31 and carry the blades past the cleaning wheels 37 and 42, and the strops and 61. The blades are held on the forwarding belt by a stationary belt 25 engaging the convex side .of-the blades and supporting the lugs on its upper edge. I To fur ther support and guide the blades on the forwarding belt, flat vertical guide surfaces 53 and 5 1 on a pair of elongated guide plates 51 and 5:2 bear against the forwarding and stationary belts respectively. After passing the cleaning wheels, the blades are pressed against the strops by fingers 71wl1ichact to hold the blades in alignment for their entire passage across the faces of the strops, Upon leaving the strops the blades pass between takeoff guides 90 and 91, after which the spring ejector 92 forces the blades on the arbors 93 where they form a stack 94.

What is claimed is: 1. In a stropping machine for curved razor blades the combination with means forfor- ,warding curved razor blades in a straight line path with an edge exposed, of a rotatable shaft parallel to the path of said blades, a series of strops on said shaft in the path of the exposed edge of the blade, and a series of rotating cleaning wheels in frictional engagement with said strops to clean them, said means including a blade forwarding belt PIO? vided with a series of slots to receive theother I i edge of the blades.

i exposed, of a strop rotating in the path of the 7 blades, the combination with means for forwarding curved razor blades JVlllll an edge 2. In a stropping machinefor curved razor blades, the combination with means for forwarding razor blades in a straight line path with an edge exposed, of a pair of rotatable shafts parallel to and on either side of the path of the blades,a series of strops on said shafts in the path of the exposed edge of the blades, a spring finger cooperating with each strop to hold the blades againstsaidstrop,

said spring finger having'a blade engaging portion extending along the edge of the blade for substantially the width of the blade, and said means including a blade forwarding belt provided with a series of slots adapted toreceive theother edge of the blades.

3. In a stropping machine for curvedrazor v blades, the combination with means for forwarding curved razor blades with an edge exposed edge of the blades, and a device for cleaning the strop, said means including a blade forwarding belt provided with a series a of the blades. v

of slots adapted to receive the other edge 4. In a stropping machineforcurved razor exposed, of a strop rotating in the path of the'expo'sed edge of the blades, and a device for cleaning said strop, said means-includlIlg a blade forwarding belt provided with THOMAS CORNELIUS SHEEHAN.

a series of slots adapted to receive the other 7 edge of the'blades, and said deviceincluding a power driven felt wheel in engagement with thestropp; V i

5. In a stropping machinefor curved razor blades, the combination with ineans for forwarding curved razor blades ina straight line path with an edge exposed, of a strop movable in the path of the exposediedge of the blades, a devicefor cleaning the strop, and

' mechanism cooperating with the forwarding I means to remove burrandgrit fromthe; ex-

posed edgeof the blades prior to stropping, i [i said means includinga blade forwarding belt,

provided with a series of slots adaptedtoreceive the other edge of the blades.

6. .111 a device for stroppingcurve d razor blades, the combination with means forffoiw warding cu1-vedrazor blades with an edge exposed, of a rotating member having grooved cylindrical surface concentric with 1 its axis of rotation and a strop belt adapted to engage the exposededge of the blades and circumferentially wrapped about said surface with its ends within said groove,'said means including a blade'forwarding belt provided with a series of slots adapted to receivethe other edge of the blades. t,

7'. In a device for stropping curved razor blades, the combination with means for forwarding curved razor blades with an edge exposed, of a'rotating" member having 'a grooved cylindrical surface concentric with its axis of rotation, a strop'belt circumferen- 

